Because You Care
by TheDoc811
Summary: Takes place after A Death in the Family. Beckett/Castle.


**A/N First Castle fic, so please be kind. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. **

Detective Kate Beckett numbly unlocked the door to her modest apartment, unaware of how her foot pushed it closed once she was inside. She threw her keys on the kitchen counter and collapsed on the small couch that sat in the main room. It was there she cried.

She cried for her mother.

She cried for her father.

She cried for herself.

And she cried for Richard Castle?

The thought struck her, violently shaking her out of numbness. Why would she cry for Castle? The man was a constant nuisance who only cared about getting the story. She was glad that he was out of her life, wasn't she?

'No,' she thought bitterly, 'I'm not.'

Rick Castle had tried to do something for her, in order to give her the closure she'd never had. He'd explicitly disobeyed her, but he had done it for a good reason—for her.

Beckett didn't know whether she was allowed to be mad at him, but she was. However, she was also confused. Why had he done it? Was it just for Nikki Heat, or was it because he actually cared?

Kate wanted to call and ask him, but she couldn't. She couldn't swallow her pride and nor could she face her fear that she may actually have more than platonic feelings for Richard Castle.

Richard Castle arrived home tired. He had a mentally strenuous day that had been topped by losing any relationship he'd had with Kate Beckett.

Castle slinked off to his study, not bothering to find his mother or check on his daughter. He sat numbly at his desk, unwilling to type or even think about Nikki Heat, for she reminded him too much of her real-life alter ego.

He sunk back and stared into space, thinking about the beautiful detective he'd come to care so much about. Rick knew that he shouldn't have dug deeper into the murder of Johanna Beckett, but after seeing Kate give so many people closure when she couldn't find any herself had caused him to act without thinking.

The news had been too great for him to keep to himself. She deserved that much, he knew, but he also realized it would ruin anything and everything that they had built. But she came first. It wouldn't be fair to keep that information from her.

He fiddled with the phone, debating whether or not he should call the good detective, but ultimately decided against it.

"Dad?" Alexis's voice rang through the door, accompanied by a short knock. "Are you in there?"

"Yes, pumpkin," he replied, trying to ease back into at least a cheerful expression, "Come on in.'

"What did you do?" she asked, "Why are you moping?"

"Now, my dear," he commented nonchalantly, "what makes you think that I did something?'

"You always come in to check on me when you get home, usually to tell me some story about the day," she answered, "Did something happen with Detective Beckett?" Rick glanced at her in surprise, and the look did not go unnoticed by the younger Castle, "You did, didn't you?"

"Fine," he relented, "I did."

"What happened?"

"I-I can't tell you," said Castle, 'even if I've told everyone else,' he added mentally.

"Fix it," she stared at him, "because if you've been in here this long that means it was something big."

"I don't think I can," he whispered, "She's won't forgive me, not this time."

"She will, Dad," Alexis hates seeing her father like this, "She likes you a lot more than you think, and I think you like her more than you'll admit."

"Thanks pumpkin," Castle called as she left his study. He thought about her words before coming to the very startling conclusion that he was in fact in love with Detective Beckett. 'When did it elevate to love?' he asked himself but was unable to find an answer.

He stood, grabbing his jacket, and after a moment's hesitation, his bullet proof vest, just in case Kate was still angry with him. She did have a gun after all.

Ten minutes later, he stood outside of her door with a cup of coffee and a bearclaw. He'd thought about flowers, but after their first case together, he wasn't sure if she'd want roses. Hesitantly, Castle brought his arm up to knock but was surprised when the door opened, and he found himself face-to-face with the woman he'd been looking for.

"Castle?' she asked incredulously, "I was just on my way to see you."

"Guess I beat you to the punch, huh?" he took a breath, "Coffee? Pastry?"

She hesitantly took the offered food before gesturing, "Come in."

"Thank you," he stepped past her and caught a whiff of her shampoo, and the scent increased his heart rate quite a bit.

Once inside, an awkward silence settled over the pair. Castle was the first to break it, "Detective, I have to apologize. I shouldn't have interfered in your personal life, and I'm so very, very sorry."

"Why?" she asked, stepping forward after laying his peace offering on the counter.

"You deserve closure, Kate," he answered honestly, "You give it to everyone else, but you never received it. You deserve that."

"This is just for your book, isn't it?" she questioned, her temper flaring up, "Is my personal suffering just what you need for you 'all-important' Nikki Heat?"

"No," he replied, "I did it because I care about you. This will never touch my book, that I promise," he stepped forward, closer to her, "Kate, you're amazing, and I did it because I cared, but I shouldn't have butted in."

"No," she replied bitterly, and he feared that she was on the brink of pulling out her gun and shooting him, but she looked off to the side, unable to face him, "but I can't blame you. I can't even be angry with you Castle."

"What?" Now he was confused. One minute, it looked like she was going to shoot him, the next she was saying that there would be no blaming.

"You waltzed into my life like a pest," she exclaimed, "and you poured salt into open wounds, but you did it for a good reason, so I can't blame you."

"Yes, you can," he said, calmly, "I deserve it."

"No," she yelled, "I can't!"

"Why?" Rick stared at her in utter disbelief, "Why can't you blame me? _I _blame me!" Castle stepped even closer to her, close enough for him to smell her pleasant shampoo again.

"Because….because it's the sweetest thing that anyone's ever done for me!"

And Kate Beckett collapsed into his chest, crying for the second time that night.

"Kate?" he placed a soft kiss atop her head, taking in the wonderful scent of hair once more. "It'll be okay."

"I don't know what to do," she muttered, "I don't know if I can handle another investigation."

"It'll be alright," he replied, "We'll get you through this."

"I expect you too," she answered, "seeing as you got me into this."

They were still in her apartment, except now they were sting close together on the couch with her still leaning against him for support.

"I wouldn't leave," Castle looked at her seriously. "I don't think I even could."

"What do you mean?" She had heard more of serious Rick Castle lately, and this threw her. Something about the way he said it made her feel like he was going to bring up those feelings she been hiding.

"Kate," he looked her in the eye, "I…you….I love you." He looked down.

She bit her lip, hurriedly analyzing everything she knew about Richard Castle, including her feelings for him, "I love you too."

His shot up immediately, "You can't," he sighed, "you're just saying it to get back at me."

"If I was trying to get back at you, would I go as far as to do this?' Kate pressed her lips against his, leaning closer to him.

A tentative hand circled around her and found its way to the small of her back while the other gently cradled her head.

One of her hands rested on his chest while the other wove its way into his hair.

They broke apart several minutes later, for both were in need of oxygen.

"No," he answered, grinning, "I don't think you'd do that just to get back at me."

She smiled back before feeling the texture of his chest beneath her fingers, "Are you wearing your bullet-proof vest?"

He looked sheepish, "Well, I figured that if you were mad enough, you'd shoot me. After all, you do have access to that gun, and I'm pretty sure Lanie, Ryan, or Esposito would be happy to dispose of my body for you," he smirked, "What am I supposed to do when my girlfriend has access to a gun anytime she wants it?"

"I won't shoot you," she kissed him again, this time it was softer, "unless you break my trust again."

"Deal," he spoke against her lips.

**A/N Please review! I hope you all enjoyed it. **

**AirDragon717**


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